Raising or lowering device for buggy-tops



(No Model.)

J. F. COLLINS v RAISING 0R nowsnme DEVICE FOR BUGG'Y TOPS.

No. 496,861. v Patented May 9, 1893.

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' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

J AMISON F. COLLINS, OF OAK PARK, VIRGINIA.

RAISING OR LOWERING DEVICE FOR BUGGY-TOPS.

SPECTFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 496,861, dated May 9, 1893. Application filed November 10, 1892. Serial No. 451,497. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMISON F. CoLLINs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oak Park, in the county of Madison and State of Virginia, have invented a new and useful Raising or Lowering Device for Buggy-Tops, of which the following is a-specification'.

This invention relates to'raising andflowering devices for buggy tops; and it has for its object to provide an improgved'device of this character, which shall be so connected tothe jointed side stay-bars of the buggy top, and arranged in suohrelatien with respect to the person in the bugg g'as to provide ready means whereby a person can easily raise and lower the top of the buggywithout shifting his position, while at thesame time thearrangement is such that-in case of emergency in runaways with the'bug'gy top up, the per son can immediately lower the top without turning or shifting.

With these and all other objects in view which fall within the scope of this invention, the same consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed. In theaccompanying drawings:-Figure 1 is a perspective view, of a buggy top and seat with my invention applied. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail in perspective of the connection of one of the ends of the operating cord to the jointed stay'rod. Fig; 3 is a detail plan view of the entire device separated from the yr Referring to the accompanying drawings A represents the body of a vehicle or buggy of the ordinary construction in which is ar ranged a seat B, over which works the ordinary swinging top 0. The top 0, is held in its raised position by means of the usual jointed stay rods D, arranged at each side of the top and connected to the same and the seat respectively. To lower the top it is necessary to. break the joint of the hinged or jointed stay rods, and the present invention contemplates means for breaking such joints and loweringthe top of the buggy easily without any suddenfall, and also means for re turning the top to its raised position. Tightly clamped to'either member of the jointed stay rods D, near their central hinges or joints are the opposite U-shaped clamping bands E, which are made of spring metal so that the same can be tightly clamped onto any stay rod by means of the clamping screws F, engaging the ends of said clamps, and it may be here observed that rubber or other flexible packing may be inserted between the clamps-and the stay rods to insure aperfectly tight fit in all cases. V

Hinged or pivoted at one end on the clamp ing screws F, are the loop eyes G, the loop or eyeofwhich receives the opposite ends of the operating cord H. The opposite ends of the operating cord H, which are thus pivotally connected to each of the opposite stay .rods near their joints lead from such. points of connection over the opposite guide rollers I, arranged at opposite sides and the rear of the top of the buggy, and mounted in the screw eyes J. From the opposite guide rollers I,

.the opposite portion of the operating cord I-I,

converges to the single central guide eye K, secured to the top and at or about the center of the same, and provided with the opposite anti-friction rollers L, against which the opposite portions of the cord bear.

To the looped end of the cord H, directly in advance of the central guide K, is connected the inner end of the pull strap M, which strap passes through the front roller guide N, secured to the top and near the front edge of the same, and hangs over such front edge of the top so as to be directlyin front of and above the person on the seat of the buggy. A ring or handle 0, is secured to the hanging end of the pull strap so that the same can be readily grasped by the person. The pull strap M, is connected to the looped end of the operating cord H, by means of the adj ustable looped connection P, so that the raising and lowering devices can be adjusted to any size of buggy top, and it will be observed that the buckle Q, of such connection is designed to play between the central guide K, and the front guide N, against which latter it is drawn by the person in the buggy in raising and lowering the top. Assuming the top to be in its raised position, all that is necessary to lower the same is for aperson to grasp the ring or handle of the pull strap and pull down on the same. This, through the medium of the operating cord breaks the joint of the opposite stay rods, simultaneously, and also causes the buckle Q, to be drawn against the front guide N, which stops the pull of the strap. By holding onto the strap the top may be thus allowed to be gently lowered without the possibility of a sudden vjerk and fall. With the top lowered, the pullstrap is still directly over the persons head so that it can be readily grasped for raising the top. To raise the top, the pull strap is grasped and drawn toward the front which movement will raise the top over the seat intoits original position. It may be observed at this pointthat the entire device herein described is entirely outside of the top of the buggy, and does not.

require the piercing of the curtains or top in order to carry the pull strap into a favorable position for operating, and by reason of the arrangement described, it will be seen that the same is especially useful in rapidly lowering the top without turning or shifting the position in case of runaways, so that one can easily jump from the vehicle.

Changes in the form, proportion and the minor details of construction maybe resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a device of the class described, the combination with a buggy top and opposite jointed stay rods; of opposite U-shaped clam ping bands embracing said stay rods near their joints, combined clamping and pivot screws engaging perforations in the ends of said clamps to removably bind the same onto said stay rods, loop eyes G, pivoted at one end on said combined clamping and pivot screws, and the opposite connected pull cords attached at one end to said loop eyes, substantially as set forth.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a buggy top and the jointed stay rods; of opposite roller guides at the rear opposite corners of the buggy top, a central roller guide disposed on top of the buggytop at about the center of the same,a front roller guide arranged near the front edge of the buggy top in a line with the central guide, said front roller guide also forming a stop, an operating cord pivotally attached at its opposite extremities to the opposite stay rods near their joint and leading over the corner roller guides to the central guide, and a pull strap connected at one end to said operating cord and provided with an adjustable buckle connection adapted to have a limited play between the central and front guides, the latter of which forms a stop against which the buckle connection is drawn in lowering and raising the buggy top, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as 

